


Brand New (Strange) Thing

by -catalyst (xo_thefirst)



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Attempt at Humor, Confusion, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2020-05-05
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:28:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24016708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xo_thefirst/pseuds/-catalyst
Summary: Kuroo Tetsurou has many questions. He hasn’t paid them any attention though, until he does.“Do I look like I would know how many pairs of socks he has?”
Relationships: Kuroo Tetsurou/Sakusa Kiyoomi
Comments: 3
Kudos: 84





	Brand New (Strange) Thing

**Author's Note:**

> extremely late for hqrarepairweek D:
> 
> this is absolute nonsense but was partially (mostly) inspired by this one tweet i saw of beautiful fanart: twitter(.)com/cry__ola/status/1256579704246730754?s=20 -- please give this and the artist some love <3
> 
> day 7, prompt: socks

_BON JOUR_ catches Tetsurou’s attention. The words are printed in lime green, vivid against the backdrop of dull gray, and he can’t help but stare as it peeks at him from the corners of his eyes. He turns his head towards it, to make sure the words are actually there, and he finally lifts his gaze up when he sees a sock-clad toe wiggle. He meets his boyfriend’s gaze and he has to admit—he’s pretty confused.

“Are you wearing my socks?” he asks, glances back down again to make sure he isn’t having hallucinations. Sakusa Kiyoomi is most definitely wearing his socks and he is most definitely sure that’s a weird thing, even though they both know they’re clean. The feet next to him shift back and forth, the weight bobbing from side to side, and Tetsurou knows he’s making Kiyoomi nervous, but he can’t help it. “Omi?”

“I am,” Kiyoomi eventually answers, and then he’s walking away. He moves to sit at the end of the couch behind him and Tetsurou casts one more glance at his sock-covered feet before turning back to his chemistry homework.

He doesn’t exactly know what else to say except, “Okay.” And then a few minutes later, “Hey, Omi. Help me with this equation. I still can’t get this reaction.”

It should be a strange thing, to see his boyfriend wearing his socks, but Tetsurou honestly doesn’t think more of it after that. He thinks it’s a fluke, a random urge Kiyoomi felt the need to do and _show him_ after he finished his homework and showered in his room, but he’s also pretty sure it isn’t a one-time thing when he goes over to Kiyoomi’s apartment next and sees him come out of his room in another pair of Tetsurou’s socks.

This time, he doesn’t comment on it, but he’s pretty sure the diamond gold pattern on black fabric are his. He knows he wore those the other week but since then, he hasn’t seen it in his laundry. “I bought fish during my break from classes earlier,” Kiyoomi mentions, bypassing him on the couch completely to go to his small kitchenette. “I also have fresh vegetables and fruits,” he adds on.

“Okay,” Tetsurou answers, because he can’t think of anything else other than the socks on his boyfriend’s feet. That’s a weird thing to do, right? “Let’s prepare dinner later. We have an exam to study for.”

“My exams are done for the week,” Kiyoomi says. He straightens back up to look over his shoulder and Tetsurou can’t remember ever looking up so quickly in his life. “Do you forget I’m actually younger than you? We don’t have all the same classes this semester.”

Tetsurou ignores the stab at his age to frown at his boyfriend instead. “You don’t have to be rude about it.” Kiyoomi rolls his eyes at him for it, but he moves to join him on the couch anyways.

It’s hard to squeeze two large men onto the small furniture. Tetsurou always tries to squeeze himself into one end to give his boyfriend enough room to settle on the opposite side without touching anything else, and he waits as he sees his boyfriend tuck his legs under himself. He sees a glimpse of his socks again and he wonders.

“Okay,” Kiyoomi finally says, opening an arm out towards him in invitation. It’s one Tetsurou never hesitates to accept and he smiles, unbidden, as he slowly shifts his way over to be embraced by his boyfriend. He practically hums in satisfaction as he gets his head underneath Kiyoomi’s chin, listening, delighted, as his boyfriend releases a breathless chuckle. “You’re a large cat in human form.”

It’s not every day that Kiyoomi allows people this close to him and Tetsurou tries to take every chance he can when Kiyoomi extends it to him. He soaks up his warmth, tries to bathe in the affection his boyfriend is attempting to give him, and he lets it simmer underneath the surface of his skin. He lets it fill his entire being and he’s pretty sure he loves Kiyoomi, wholly and seriously. He just doesn’t want to say it, yet.

“Are you using me to take a nap, Tetsu?” Kiyoomi asks, sounding offended, but Tetsurou knows his boyfriend isn’t offended. He _shouldn’t_ be offended. “You’re so uncomfortable.”

Tetsurou groans, loud and annoyed, as he pushes himself off of his boyfriend. “I just want to cuddle. Let me just wallow in pity here.” He puts a hand on Kiyoomi’s chest, stares at him for that split second to fight his glare, and then plops right back down on top of him. Satisfaction rolls wonderfully within him.

“Huge.”

“Whiny.”

“A large oaf.”

“Annoying.”

“Your hair is getting all over my face. Can you—”

“You know I can’t do anything with my hair!” Tetsurou yells back, finally separating to give themselves space from each other. He runs his hand through his hair next, successfully pushing his fringe up and out of his eyes for a second before it falls back into place again. “I’ve tried gelling it like Bokuto and straightening it like those videos Kenma sent me. Nothing works!”

There’s a contemplative expression on Kiyoomi’s face. It’s in his eyes and the slight pinch of his brow. Tetsurou doesn’t know what he’s thinking and he isn’t offended when he sees Kiyoomi reach out towards him only to stop himself short. “How about if you cut off all your hair?” he suggests, tilting his head the slightest bit, and Tetsurou is _offended_.

“Do you know how I look like with no hair? I look _atrocious_.”

“You’re being dramatic,” Kiyoomi mutters, but it’s not lost in his ears. “Tetsu.”

At that, Tetsurou rolls his eyes. “Don’t ‘Tetsu’ me. Look, let’s get in the shower and I’ll show you how bad I’d look with no hair at all.” He stands to prove his point, already making his way towards his spare bag by the wall, and picks it up only to be surprised to feel… practically air. He opens it to make sure, to see that it really is empty, and he looks over his shoulder to see Kiyoomi already standing and looking away from him. “Omi, where are my clothes?” He glances back down to his boyfriend’s feet. Were those socks in this bag?

“They’re in the top drawer of my dresser” is the response he was _not_ expecting. It even takes a few minutes to process, Tetsurou simply staring at his boyfriend, with a red flush high on his face, who makes sure everything is neat and clean and in its own space, and feels his heart go into cardiac arrest.

Tetsurou is speechless, but he manages to squeak out an, “oh, okay!” before rushing into Kiyoomi’s room and shutting the door.

He completely forgets about showing Kiyoomi his hair until they’re walking together on campus the following week. He can barely stand up, needing to lean towards his boyfriend to actually walk straight, and he apologizes for the nth time when he brushes Kiyoomi’s shoulder again.

“Stop apologizing. We’re almost to the cafe,” Kiyoomi grumbles behind his mask. He barely flinches, whenever Tetsurou can see him clearly, and that is a feat in itself. “I’m getting you two iced coffees.”

“I love you,” Tetsurou breathes in appreciation. He closes his eyes for a moment, trusting his boyfriend to steer him away if he’s about to run into anything, and he winces when a strong gust of wind hits him in the face instead. It pushes his hair up, away from his eyes, and it’s like an epiphany that dawns on him. “I never showed you what it’d look like if my hair is short!” he blurts out, enough to cause the students walking across the courtyard to stare at them for a minute.

There’s a moment where Kiyoomi stares at him out of the corners of his eyes, and then he snorts. “I saw when you were asleep last week,” he confesses, even though Tetsurou is already pushing his hair back to show him. “You turned in your sleep and your hair got smushed into the cushion.”

“See, look,” Tetsurou says anyways, taking two quick steps to turn and face him. He still has his hand holding back his hair and he’s not sure if it’s okay he’s seeing two of his boyfriend. Maybe he should skip his next class to sleep. “I’m pretty sure I look ugly like this.”

“I’m pretty sure you look ugly anyways,” Kiyoomi quips back.

Tetsurou glares at him for that. “Then why are you even dating me if I’m ugly,” he mutters, turning back around to head into the shop. “I wouldn’t date someone if they’re ugly. Even though that’s mean. You’re lucky you’re handsome underneath the mask. Two iced coffees, please,” he continues on, grinning at the bewildered woman behind the cash register. He waits politely as Kiyoomi hands the woman his card before taking it from her. He moves over to the side as he fishes in the side pocket of his bag, opening and closing a small container of disinfectant wipes, and cleans the card before giving it back to Kiyoomi. “You’re damn lucky to have me,” he mutters. He hopes he’s not seeing things when he sees the corners of his boyfriend’s eyes crinkle, like he’s smiling.

“I consider myself unfortunately blessed,” he answers, stuffing his wallet back into his pocket. He shifts from foot to foot again and Tetsurou can’t help glancing down at his feet when he does so. “Or fortunately doomed. Take your pick.”

There’s a peak of something red when Kiyoomi’s pant leg lifts up high enough when he moves. It looks like a familiar shade that used to be in his dresser, but Tetsurou can’t be sure. “Are you wearing my socks again?” he asks, curiosity taking over, because he has no filter when he’s sleep-deprived. “Are those the ones with the cats on them?”

When Tetsurou looks up for his answer, it’s to see his boyfriend’s face turning a familiar shade of pink above the edge of his mask. He isn’t looking at him, but he’s still shifting his weight on his feet. “Yes,” he answers, quietly, and then Tetsurou’s name is called. It halts their conversation, but it doesn’t dampen Tetsurou’s mood. The caffeine skyrockets it and he can’t stop smiling for the rest of the day.

“You’re friends with Omi,” Tetsurou informs, watching as Akaashi simply nods at him from behind his coffee cup. He stares as his friend looks unimpressed. But when does he _not_ look unimpressed?

“Yes, Kuroo-san. I introduced you two one year ago.”

Oh. Well, that’s true, too. He forgot Akaashi was the mutual friend who introduced them at a small gathering for Bokuto’s birthday.

“Anyways,” Tetsurou waves off, giving his friend a look when he snickers behind his mug. “Do you know if Omi has a thing for socks?”

That makes Akaashi quickly raise an eyebrow, a solid reaction for an appropriate topic. “As in a type of fetish? Not that I know of.”

Tetsurou grimaces at that, all types of images assaulting his mind. “I don’t think it’s a fetish,” he murmurs, leaning forward to rest his chin on his propped hand. “Does he _lack_ socks?” he asks next, watching as Akaashi raises his eyebrow again.

“Do I look like I would know how many pairs of socks he has?”

“Can you provide a little more support for your _best friend?_ ” Tetsurou argues, finally getting a chuckle out of his friend.

“You know Bokuto-san has that title, Kuroo-san,” Akaashi answers, but the smile on his lips says their relationship is anything but that. He crosses his arms as he leans back in his chair. “What is this about?”

Tetsurou shrugs at that, an involuntary response, because he has no idea either. “Just a couple questions,” he answers. He knows it’s not enough to explain the situation at all, but it’ll have to do. He watches as Akaashi mirrors his move, shrugging his shoulders, before grabbing his cup again.

“Sakusa-san will eventually explain whatever it is that’s probably bothering you.”

That still doesn’t help him at all, but whatever.

This time, Tetsurou buys a pair of brand new socks with a matching pair. They’re covered in cute little otters on top of a wash of gold and black. He’s not entirely sure what he’s doing, but he figures this must be better than wearing his old washed socks. That even _sounds_ nasty and he has no idea what Kiyoomi is doing if he hates anything with germs on it, which is everything, but he’s coping better.

He doesn’t even say anything as Kiyoomi opens the door for him when he arrives, simply going to the table off to the side and dropping the shopping bag on it. It’s one of the only places that’s allowed to have foreign objects on it and he waits and watches as his boyfriend goes over to it curiously.

Tetsurou opens the bag for him before grabbing the socks inside and he stares at his boyfriend to see his reaction. He isn’t disappointed to see his eyes widen before his lips settle into a natural frown. “These are brand new,” he announces, watches as Kiyoomi nods.

“I can see that.”

“Couple socks,” Tetsurou explains. He has no idea what he’s doing. “I have no idea what is going on,” he confesses after, glancing at his boyfriend’s feet, now out of habit. He’s wearing the _BON JOUR_ socks again. “But I’m pretty sure you taking my socks is strange. Is this like you taking my jacket? Is this a boyfriend-jacket thing? But with socks?”

There’s a long moment where Kiyoomi visibly swallows. He’s not wearing his mask inside his apartment and that leaves him open with his expressions. Tetsurou can see that his boyfriend is getting nervous. It’s the subtle, barely there gestures, and he feels his entire body soften with the way his boyfriend looks right now.

“Let me go put these socks in the wash and then I’ll shower,” he suggests. Kiyoomi nods, but he doesn’t say anything else. “Hey,” he coaxes, leaning around to try and get into his boyfriend’s view. “I think you’re great.”

That earns him a surprised laugh.

“You are,” he argues, watches with a smile as his boyfriend laughs some more. He wants to kiss him, but not until he’s cleaned up some. He puckers his lips out like a fish, though, just to see if he can pull more laughter from him.

“I like the idea of owning something of yours,” Kiyoomi suddenly says, like it explains everything. Technically, it does. It surprises Tetsurou into silence with his jaw hanging open. “Socks aren’t ideal when they’re used but once clean, they’re okay. They’re also small enough that you probably wouldn’t have noticed it if they weren’t obnoxiously loud.”

Tetsurou is so confused. “Your high school uniform was neon!”

At that, Kiyoomi grimaces. “I remember,” he says, “but your socks are actually… not that annoying.”

“I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or an insult,” Tetsurou murmurs. This whole thing is still confusing him, even though he’s getting answers now. “So, is this like the boyfriend-jacket thing? You know, you could’ve just asked for one of my jackets.”

This time, the pink on Kiyoomi’s cheeks flourishes to a bright red. “It’s too soon for that,” he breathes and, oh, this might be going a little too fast.

“How is it too soon for that? You moved my clothes into your dresser the other day?”

“I have a process. You can’t judge me for my process,” Kiyoomi almost shouts. It’s enough for Tetsurou to shut up and stare at his boyfriend. He’s not wrong. He also knows Kiyoomi isn’t mad. He’s embarrassed and, he guesses, rightfully so.

Tetsurou runs his fingers through his hair, because what else can he do? They take a moment to stare at each other, but then his boyfriend is the first one to break eye contact. “You’re right,” he eventually says, watches as Kiyoomi turns to look at him again. He gives him a lopsided grin, which makes his boyfriend roll his eyes at him immediately. He should be offended. “I’ll just buy us matching socks then. At this rate, you’re going to take all my socks and I won’t know it until I wake up one day and try to search for some.” He smiles wider when he sees Kiyoomi nod. “Now, until then, I’ll go shower.”

It isn’t until Tetsurou is walking away, being careful to take the most direct path to the bathroom, that he hears Kiyoomi say something else. It’s soft, a simple “thank you, Tetsu,” that he takes a moment to pause right outside the bathroom door. He looks over his shoulder to see his boyfriend already making his way to the kitchenette, probably to grab the cleaning supplies, and feels his heart flip at the sight.

He still has no idea what Kiyoomi thanks him for, even after all this time.

**Author's Note:**

> does this even make sense pls send help they look so good as the campus couple
> 
> edit: look at this beautiful fanart this beautiful soul created for this fic ;u;  
> [beautiful fanart :)](https://twitter.com/Muukahsa/status/1284356217280888832?s=20)


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